Jim Perkins
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Jim Perkins

Johnson City, Tennessee, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2001 | SELF

Johnson City, Tennessee, United States | SELF
Established on Jan, 2001
Solo Americana Singer/Songwriter

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"Playing For A Cure"

(video and pictures) - Augusta Chronicle Metro


"Playing For A Cure"

(video and pictures) - Augusta Chronicle Metro


"12 Bands to Release CD"

Music lovers can get in the holiday spirit with the annual 12 Bands of Christmas concert and CD – and also contribute to a worthy cause.
This year’s concert and CD features Five’s A Crowd, 3rd Shift, Joy Krueger, Vellotones, Jaycie Ward, Livingroom Legends, Wombats, Jim Perkins, Fried Goat, The Unmentionables, Radar Cinema and Sibling String. Set for release on Nov. 8, the 12 Bands CD, Volume VIII can be ordered at www.12Bands.org. For the first time, every song on the CD is an original track.
Several of the 12 Bands artists are joined on the album by other musicians. Joy Krueger performs with the Wesley Church Praise Band, and the Vellotones perform with Georgia Music Hall of Fame member George Croft.
On Dec. 18, each band will play at the annual 12 Bands concert at the Imperial Theatre. Tara Scheyer & the Mudpuppy Band is absent from this year’s lineup, but she and her band will be releasing a holiday CD, performing for children and donating a portion of proceeds to 12 Bands.
The 12 Bands of Christmas started in 2001 with a mission to raise funds to fight pediatric cancer. In 2003, a recorded CD was added. In the past decade, 12 Bands has raised more than $250,000.
To help fight childhood cancer, the public can visit www.12Bands.org to make a donation, buy a raffle ticket for the 12 Bands/12 Kids campaign or purchase merchandise.
For more information, contact Joe Stevenson at director@12Bands.org or at (706) 664-5595. - Augusta Chronicle Applause


"12 Bands to Release CD"

Music lovers can get in the holiday spirit with the annual 12 Bands of Christmas concert and CD – and also contribute to a worthy cause.
This year’s concert and CD features Five’s A Crowd, 3rd Shift, Joy Krueger, Vellotones, Jaycie Ward, Livingroom Legends, Wombats, Jim Perkins, Fried Goat, The Unmentionables, Radar Cinema and Sibling String. Set for release on Nov. 8, the 12 Bands CD, Volume VIII can be ordered at www.12Bands.org. For the first time, every song on the CD is an original track.
Several of the 12 Bands artists are joined on the album by other musicians. Joy Krueger performs with the Wesley Church Praise Band, and the Vellotones perform with Georgia Music Hall of Fame member George Croft.
On Dec. 18, each band will play at the annual 12 Bands concert at the Imperial Theatre. Tara Scheyer & the Mudpuppy Band is absent from this year’s lineup, but she and her band will be releasing a holiday CD, performing for children and donating a portion of proceeds to 12 Bands.
The 12 Bands of Christmas started in 2001 with a mission to raise funds to fight pediatric cancer. In 2003, a recorded CD was added. In the past decade, 12 Bands has raised more than $250,000.
To help fight childhood cancer, the public can visit www.12Bands.org to make a donation, buy a raffle ticket for the 12 Bands/12 Kids campaign or purchase merchandise.
For more information, contact Joe Stevenson at director@12Bands.org or at (706) 664-5595. - Augusta Chronicle Applause


"Sonic Spotlight: Jim Perkins"

FIRST SHOW: PJ's Coffee and Tea Cafe, Augusta, 2000. "(The coffeehouse) gave me, I think, $25, and I was unbelievably excited. I had an amp, and I plugged everything into that amp, my mike and everything. I just sat there and tried not to screw up for an hour. Had a good time, and I was nervous as I could be. It was awesome." - Augusta Chronicle


"Sonic Spotlight: Jim Perkins"

FIRST SHOW: PJ's Coffee and Tea Cafe, Augusta, 2000. "(The coffeehouse) gave me, I think, $25, and I was unbelievably excited. I had an amp, and I plugged everything into that amp, my mike and everything. I just sat there and tried not to screw up for an hour. Had a good time, and I was nervous as I could be. It was awesome." - Augusta Chronicle


"Confederation Of Loudness: Live interview and studio performance"

This episode of COL,...features in-studio guest Jim Perkins who performs as well as talks about tunes from his two new CDs... - Confederation of Loudness


"Confederation Of Loudness: Live interview and studio performance"

This episode of COL,...features in-studio guest Jim Perkins who performs as well as talks about tunes from his two new CDs... - Confederation of Loudness


"LIVE MUSIC: JIm PERKINS Local musician Prepares for Nashville move with New CD in Hand"

LIVE MUSIC: JIm PERKINS Local musician Prepares for Nashville move with New CD in Hand
Singer/songwriter Jim Perkins took an unconventional road establishing himself as a musician. He did not pick up a guitar or write songs until he was in college. An Augusta native, he grew up in a rural area with no access to cable or music videos, so he taught himself to play without the advantage of watching the artists on television. Thus, it should come as no surprise that his second and third albums — Broken Record Reasons, a band project, and Jim Perkins Live, recorded at a solo acoustic performance — buck the industry trends and are being released simultaneously.
Perkins stays busy. He gigs consistently in the Georgia/South Carolina area, is a go-to guy to open for acoustic touring artists and has a CD release show on March 19. His wife and he are also preparing for relocation to Nashville in July. He spoke to verge about his road to the stage and the craft of songwriting.
“My job is to get the audience going. It’s not about me.”
– JIm PERKINS
VERGE: You began playing guitar and writing in college. How much experience did you have?
PERKINS: I was shoved out to sing solos in youth groups at church, but I was nervous and didn’t like the attention. I also thought everybody had the same voice I did. My parents and my sister all could sing and I was around soloists. From age 9 to 13, I was in singing groups and youth choir. My father played guitar and sang in dance bands like the Red Hots, and his voice was compared to Perry Como and Tennessee Ernie Ford. My mom had perfect pitch. My sister, who is eight years older than I am, also loved music and she played piano. My parents decided not to force an instrument on me and, ironically, I was the one who wanted to play and write. English came easily to me and when I was younger I wrote poetry. I wanted to play an instrument and I couldn’t take a piano with me, so I went with electric and acoustic guitar. I began with acoustic. My dad had a cheap, 50-year-old guitar and I tried to learn chords on it. Then I got a better guitar that I put on layaway at A World Of Music. I visited it every month and paid $50 until I paid it off. Seven years ago I got a beautiful Taylor 614ce.
I really enjoyed how music brings people together. In church and camp, I was around people the same age and we were brought together by sports and music. I kind of naturally felt comfortable about performing after a while and, when people you don’t know say you’re good, you listen to them. I slowly realized that maybe I have talent and I should try to do something with it. In college, I began playing at Borders and PJ’s Coffeehouse. I had no demo, so I would learn songs and audition for them and I got hired. I kept doing this over and over. I gained credibility in Augusta and Columbia and I could pick where I wanted to play. I wanted to play original material, but Augusta is not an originals town, so I had to learn covers.
VERGE: When did your songwriting develop? PERKINS: “Charleston” was the first song I wrote that actually had verse, chorus and bridge. It had
only three chords because that’s all I knew at the time. It’s on my first album [Maker Of Dreams], but I do a completely different version today. It needed a groove, so I reformulated it and made it interesting. Song ideas come at different times. I have books filled with couplets, and sometimes I randomly put them together. Sometimes you write and only one minute of it is a gem. I keep everything because you never know. I continually grow and get better at my craft. You can rewrite all day long. It’s hard to put a stamp on it and say, “This is what I permanently want to do.” It’s amazing that you ever release anything.
VERGE: You released your first album in 2002 and then traveled the U.S. and Canada with the North American Mission Board’s World Changers. Were you still involved with music?
PERKINS: Yes. I was on the North Team for 10 or 12 weeks. We had people from churches in different states. We rebuilt houses and worked with youth doing video and audio by day. We played music at night. I came back to Augusta, played music at night and caddied at the Augusta National as my day job. In 2006, I played 220 shows. I had a lot of free time and I dug in deep. I played in the Southeast, spent nine months in Casper, Wyoming, got calls in Augusta and picked up where I left off. I played music in churches, traveled to venues and played in Charleston a lot.
VERGE: When did you begin traveling to Nashville? PERKINS: In 2006, I was playing a coffeehouse and a guy walked up and said, “You should meet
my brother-in-law; he’s in the music business in Nashville.” Of course, I’d heard this before, but I drove up to meet him. I played three songs and he set me up with other meetings. Since then, I’ve kept in touch with the people I met there.
VERGE: You opened for John Corabi, you’re opening for Zach Myers, you’re doing some solo gigs and you have - Verge Magazine


"LIVE MUSIC: JIm PERKINS Local musician Prepares for Nashville move with New CD in Hand"

LIVE MUSIC: JIm PERKINS Local musician Prepares for Nashville move with New CD in Hand
Singer/songwriter Jim Perkins took an unconventional road establishing himself as a musician. He did not pick up a guitar or write songs until he was in college. An Augusta native, he grew up in a rural area with no access to cable or music videos, so he taught himself to play without the advantage of watching the artists on television. Thus, it should come as no surprise that his second and third albums — Broken Record Reasons, a band project, and Jim Perkins Live, recorded at a solo acoustic performance — buck the industry trends and are being released simultaneously.
Perkins stays busy. He gigs consistently in the Georgia/South Carolina area, is a go-to guy to open for acoustic touring artists and has a CD release show on March 19. His wife and he are also preparing for relocation to Nashville in July. He spoke to verge about his road to the stage and the craft of songwriting.
“My job is to get the audience going. It’s not about me.”
– JIm PERKINS
VERGE: You began playing guitar and writing in college. How much experience did you have?
PERKINS: I was shoved out to sing solos in youth groups at church, but I was nervous and didn’t like the attention. I also thought everybody had the same voice I did. My parents and my sister all could sing and I was around soloists. From age 9 to 13, I was in singing groups and youth choir. My father played guitar and sang in dance bands like the Red Hots, and his voice was compared to Perry Como and Tennessee Ernie Ford. My mom had perfect pitch. My sister, who is eight years older than I am, also loved music and she played piano. My parents decided not to force an instrument on me and, ironically, I was the one who wanted to play and write. English came easily to me and when I was younger I wrote poetry. I wanted to play an instrument and I couldn’t take a piano with me, so I went with electric and acoustic guitar. I began with acoustic. My dad had a cheap, 50-year-old guitar and I tried to learn chords on it. Then I got a better guitar that I put on layaway at A World Of Music. I visited it every month and paid $50 until I paid it off. Seven years ago I got a beautiful Taylor 614ce.
I really enjoyed how music brings people together. In church and camp, I was around people the same age and we were brought together by sports and music. I kind of naturally felt comfortable about performing after a while and, when people you don’t know say you’re good, you listen to them. I slowly realized that maybe I have talent and I should try to do something with it. In college, I began playing at Borders and PJ’s Coffeehouse. I had no demo, so I would learn songs and audition for them and I got hired. I kept doing this over and over. I gained credibility in Augusta and Columbia and I could pick where I wanted to play. I wanted to play original material, but Augusta is not an originals town, so I had to learn covers.
VERGE: When did your songwriting develop? PERKINS: “Charleston” was the first song I wrote that actually had verse, chorus and bridge. It had
only three chords because that’s all I knew at the time. It’s on my first album [Maker Of Dreams], but I do a completely different version today. It needed a groove, so I reformulated it and made it interesting. Song ideas come at different times. I have books filled with couplets, and sometimes I randomly put them together. Sometimes you write and only one minute of it is a gem. I keep everything because you never know. I continually grow and get better at my craft. You can rewrite all day long. It’s hard to put a stamp on it and say, “This is what I permanently want to do.” It’s amazing that you ever release anything.
VERGE: You released your first album in 2002 and then traveled the U.S. and Canada with the North American Mission Board’s World Changers. Were you still involved with music?
PERKINS: Yes. I was on the North Team for 10 or 12 weeks. We had people from churches in different states. We rebuilt houses and worked with youth doing video and audio by day. We played music at night. I came back to Augusta, played music at night and caddied at the Augusta National as my day job. In 2006, I played 220 shows. I had a lot of free time and I dug in deep. I played in the Southeast, spent nine months in Casper, Wyoming, got calls in Augusta and picked up where I left off. I played music in churches, traveled to venues and played in Charleston a lot.
VERGE: When did you begin traveling to Nashville? PERKINS: In 2006, I was playing a coffeehouse and a guy walked up and said, “You should meet
my brother-in-law; he’s in the music business in Nashville.” Of course, I’d heard this before, but I drove up to meet him. I played three songs and he set me up with other meetings. Since then, I’ve kept in touch with the people I met there.
VERGE: You opened for John Corabi, you’re opening for Zach Myers, you’re doing some solo gigs and you have - Verge Magazine


"Lokal Loudness Christmas Special Part 2 (podcast)"

Jim's a trooper...put out 2 CDs earlier this year...a live CD and a studio CD...Jim's got the goods, man...He's a great singer-songwriter... - Lokal Loudness radio show/podcast


"Lokal Loudness Christmas Special Part 2 (podcast)"

Jim's a trooper...put out 2 CDs earlier this year...a live CD and a studio CD...Jim's got the goods, man...He's a great singer-songwriter... - Lokal Loudness radio show/podcast


Discography

Jim has released four full band albums. The most recent project was released in July 2015, “Long Way Home”, recorded at the prestigious Studio 1093 in Athens, GA. “Broken Record Reasons” and a live solo acoustic album (recorded in Augusta, GA while opening up for Spin Doctors' Chris Barron) entitled "Jim Perkins Live" were released in 2011. Jim also released a single that has gained a HUGE following at all of his shows, entitled "Somebody Like You". All albums and the single are available absolutely everywhere online: iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, Rhapsody and more!

Photos

Bio

Jim Perkins began playing guitar and writing songs in college and that's when the music bug bit him. He was consumed by an overwhelming yearning to perform, no matter how large or small the crowd, from friends to complete strangers.

Jim started booking shows in 2001 at coffee shops in his hometown and in the southeast. He released his debut album, "Maker of Dreams", in 2002 before traveling the U.S. and Canada. Jim gained a loyal audience in Augusta and played over 220 shows in 2006 alone. His audience has grown all over the southeast and continues to climb with every new venue he plays.

He's shared the stage with Edwin McCainChris Barron (of the Spin Doctors), Sam Thacker, Jennifer Daniels, Angie Aparo, Ken Block & Drew Copeland of Sister Hazel, Nashville Star winner and country music star Chris Young, Doug Jones of Cravin' Melon, and John Corabi (Formerly of Motley Crue"Self Titled Motley Crue",RATTUnionThe ScreamESP Eric Singer Project) and Grammy winning guitarist Zach Myers of SHINEDOWN to name a few.

His singing and songwriting is some of the best in acoustic music today. He easily and gracefully moves from Alternate Country to Americana to Singer Songwriter to Blues without missing a beat. His lyrics are heartfelt, moving and honest; authentic tales of everyday life that can’t be expressed in any other way. Many have compared his songs and show style to popular artists such as Ed Sheeran, Ray LaMontagne, Edwin McCain, Ryan Adams, John Mayer, Marc Broussard, Emerson Hart (of Tonic), and Dave Matthews.

Jim has released three other full band albums. The most recent project was released in July 2015, “Long Way Home”, recorded at the prestigious Studio 1093 in Athens, GA. “Broken Record Reasons” and a live solo acoustic album (recorded in Augusta, GA while opening up for Spin Doctors' Chris Barron) entitled "Jim Perkins Live" were released in 2011. Jim also released a single that has gained a HUGE following at all of his shows, entitled "Somebody Like You". All albums and the single are available absolutely everywhere online: iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, Rhapsody and more! 


Jim's performances are positive and fun. With great stage manner and intimate interactions with the audience, Jim knows what to say, catering to his broad range of listeners. He's quick on the draw and has witty humor. Jim’s ability to leave his captive audiences wanting more is second to none.

Jim currently resides in Johnson City, TN.

Past and Current Clients:
Cymplify (Ken Block's, lead singer of Sister Hazel, concert venue in Gainesville, FL)
Chateau Elan Winery and Resort (Braselton, GA)
The Melting Point (Athens, GA)
The Augusta Country Club (Augusta, GA)
Champions Retreat Golf Club (Evans, GA)
Medical College of Georgia - GRU
Augusta State University (Augusta, GA)
University of Georgia (Athens, GA)
University of South Carolina (Aiken, SC)
Sheridan College (Oakville, ON, Canada)
SafeHomes (nonprofit charity)
Savannah Rapids Pavilion (Evans, GA)
Soundcheck (Nashville, TN)
Douglas Corner Live (Nashville, TN)
Blue Bird Cafe (Nashville, TN)
Wild Wing Cafes (all over Southeastern US)
World of Beers (all over FL)
Carolina Ale Houses (Southeastern US)
The Pinnacle Club (Augusta, GA)
Sky City (Augusta, GA)
Terrapin Beer Company (Athens, GA)
The 12 Bands of Christmas (nonprofit charity)
Imperial Theatre (Augusta, GA)
Chevrolet (General Motors)
Southern Living Magazine event
Stadion Classics Pairings Party (PGA event)
The Asheville Sanctuary (Marshall, NC)
Eddie's Attic (Decatur, GA)
The Waterfront Cafe (Chicago, IL)
Elbo Room (Chicago, IL)
Partridge Inn (Augusta, GA)
Chota Falls Wedding Resort (Clayton, GA)
Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation (Greensboro, GA)
Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes (Orlando, FL)
Turner Field (Atlanta, GA)
Global Winter Wonderland (Atlanta, GA)

Band Members